Page 7 of The High Island

The next few minutes were taken up by boarding, plus a thank you to the ferry master for doing an extra run to get them back tonight.

Moving to the empty lounge, Erling settled down to make the call, while Jo fetched them coffee from the machine.

Listening to the mobile ring out, Erling wondered if Maitland had been forewarned of the impending call and wouldn’t answer.

He was proved wrong almost immediately.

‘Bethany Barrett here, who’s speaking please?’

Surprised to hear a woman, Erling introduced himself once again before saying, ‘I understood this was the number for Richard Maitland?’

‘It is,’ the voice said. ‘Richard’s asleep. Can you tell me what this is about, Detective Inspector?’

‘I require to speak to Mr Maitland personally,’ Erling told her firmly.

A moment’s silence, then the voice said, ‘Okay, I’ll wake him.’

Jo, arriving with the coffee, noted his annoyed look and made a face. ‘God, who is this guy?’ she said.

Then a male voice came on, sounding exactly as though he’d just been woken up.

‘Detective Inspector Flett, I apologize,’ he said. ‘Martin told meto expect your call, but we’ve been travelling and I fell asleep. We should arrive in Kirkwall tomorrow morning as I believe Martin intimated. May I ask why the urgency in contacting me?’

The voice was soft and melodic and definitely not hostile. Whatever he’d been expecting, Erling realized it hadn’t been that.

‘We have discovered human remains at the site where you plan to build on Hoy, Mr Maitland. I understand you’re due to be there tomorrow, together with a crew of workmen. That won’t be possible. The old Mowat croft is now a designated crime scene and therefore off limits to everyone until further notice.’

Silence came from the other end.

‘You’re telling me you unearthed a body in the ruins of the old house?’ Maitland finally said in apparent disbelief.

Erling decided not to correct him by saying two bodies. ‘The digger driven by Ian MacDougal discovered the grave next to the ruins.’

‘Good God,’ the voice said. ‘How awful. And that was earlier today?’

‘It was.’ He decided not to go into the details of the discovery and how the police had got to know about it.

Another silence followed, although Erling could make out what he thought was an interchange between Maitland and the woman.

‘I am very distressed to hear this, of course, but I have to ask you how old the grave is thought to be,’ Maitland said, almost apologetically.

‘That is still to be forensically established,’ Erling told him.

‘I see,’ Maitland responded. ‘Might it be Viking in origin?’ he suggested tentatively.

‘It doesn’t appear to be,’ Erling said firmly.

Another background chat ensued, before Maitland spoke again. ‘There has been some opposition to the sale of the Mowat croft andthe proposed house to be built there. In fact, Ivor Mowat told us that his family might well attempt to sabotage it.’ He paused there as though waiting for Erling to comment.

When Erling chose not to, he heard what sounded like the mobile being passed, then the woman came back on.

‘What Richard wants to ask, Inspector, is whether it’s possible that this is a prank to hold up work on the site?’

‘In my opinion, no,’ Erling said, the image of the coffin and its contents clear in his head. ‘Please feel free to visit the station tomorrow and I’ll explain what happens now.’

At this point, he said a quick goodnight before either of them could question him any further on the matter.

Meeting Jo’s sympathetic look, he accepted his coffee and took a mouthful, wishing as he did so that it was something stronger.